Brita Everyday Elite Water Filter Pitcher, Removes 99% of Lead, Includes 1 Filter, 10-Cup Capacity, Black

Why it's worth it

A 10-cup pitcher with Brita's Elite filter, which is certified to reduce 99% of lead along with chlorine taste, cadmium, mercury, benzene and asbestos. You change the filter about twice a year, and replacements sit on the shelf of nearly every grocery store.

The Elite filter is what makes this pitcher worth buying. It's certified to reduce 99% of lead, plus chlorine taste and odor, cadmium, mercury, benzene, asbestos and microplastics. That's the health-effects tier of certification, not just a taste filter with good packaging. The EPA points to pitchers certified to NSF/ANSI 53 as a real way to cut lead exposure at the tap, and drinking water can account for a fifth or more of a young child's total lead exposure.

Twice a year is a filter cadence you can actually keep. Cheaper carbon-only filters want changing every month or two, and most people quietly stretch that to four. The Elite runs about six months, and an electronic indicator on the lid nags you when it's time. Fewer changes also means fewer cartridges in the trash and fewer trips to buy them.

From our review of 8 water filtration pitchers

What we like

• +The Elite filter is what makes this pitcher worth buying
• +Twice a year is a filter cadence you can actually keep
• +The everyday details hold up
• +Availability is an underrated feature

What to know

• –Brita doesn't claim PFAS reduction here, and that's the gap that matters most right now
• –It doesn't remove fluoride, either, which is intentional but disappointing if that's what you came for